2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #19

Whew! It's finally starting to feel like summer. I was able to slow the pace of life a bit and make time for reading and lounging. I enjoyed what I read this week. Even though the challenge is over, there are several more titles that I plan to read this summer, as well as some other books that have languished in my TBR pile for the last several months. Now it's time to switch gears to get ready for the July incarnation of Camp Nanowrimo and its writing frenzy. Literary fun for everyone--I hope you'll join me!

Squire by Tamora Pierce

Book three in The Protector of the Small quartet.

Kel has passed the big examination and become a squire. Now what? She is raring to get out into the field to train as a knight, but she worries that no one will want to take on "The Girl." And when Neal gets her dream mentor, she has to remind herself to be gracious about it. 

Lucky for Kel (and the realm), Sir Raoul sees her potential and is ready to train her. he takes her out with the King's Own, warriors who travel around keeping order. As she has in the other books, Kel has to prove herself again and again to the warriors, both friend and foe. She also falls in love. Her four years as a squire pass quickly; all too soon it is Kel's time to face the Ordeal. She must spend a night inside an ancient chamber that will force her to look deeply inside herself--to confront her fears and to decide whether or not she is fit to become a knight. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will certainly recommend it to my students. The only part that left me a bit unsatisfied was the resolution to Kel's ongoing conflict with Joren and his cronies. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but you'll know what I mean when you get there.

Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

Last book of The Protector of the Small quartet.

Kel has finally become a knight and longs to set out in search of Blayce and his terrifying killing machines. Instead, she is given a very different assignment--commander of a refugee camp right in the middle of the war zone. With the help of two other brand new knights, Merrick and Neal, she is to keep about 400 refugees safe from invading Scanrans.

Despite little assistance from the larger army and the initial skepticism of her charges, she eventually manages to train even the children to fight and earns the respect of everyone in the camp. But then tragedy strikes and Kel finds herself on the path to her destiny.

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo

Amelia has it bad for Chris, a fellow cashier at the local grocery store. Sadly, she knows he'll never go out with her, as he's a 21 year old university students, while she is only 15. They gradually become friends, though Amelia continues to idolize him.

She's smart and passionate about things besides Chris, which is refreshing. Even though Chris knows that Amelia is too young for him, at least right now, he sees that she could be his Perfect Women, given a bit more time to grow up.

Buzo perfectly captures the hopefulness and awkwardness of first love, and even though not much happens in terms of the plot, the characters are a pleasure to spend time with. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #18

Alas and alack! Summer vacation has been so darn busy so far that I am simply exhausted after only a week away from school. My husband and I have started a new diet and exercise program, visited several doctor's offices, and wandered around our local farmers' market purchasing locally grown foodstuffs for delicious home-cooked meals. What we have not done much of is, you guessed it, reading. I did finish one more book from the list, as well as another that's been on my nightstand for several months.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pure is the first in a trilogy. 


The world-building is phenomenal; plotwise, nothing much happens until very near the end of the book (and it is an enormous book).

In a horrifying post-apocalyptic world, enhanced nuclear weapons have destroyed nearly everything. The survivors have been fused with whatever they happened to be holding (or standing next to) during the Detonation, creating a variety of grotesque mutations. Pressia, 16, has a doll's head in place of one hand. Another character has birds fused into his back. Other characters, called Groupies, are connected to other people. The descriptions of these survivors are disturbing, and I think, what made this book very difficult for me to read.

There is another group of survivors, people who were kept safe from the Detonations, protected inside of the Dome. They are called Pures. Partridge lives in the Dome, which is controlled by his father. Despite his privileged upbringing, Partridge has never felt like he fits in. When he discovers that his mother might have survived, he escapes from the Dome and sets out to find her.

Pressia and Partridge, on the run for their own reasons, soon find out that more than mere chance binds them together.

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Not on the YALSA list, but worth a read.

Freakonomics:  A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Leavitt (an economist) and Dubner (a journalist) collaborate to answer some rather strange questions that, on the surface, seem to have little to do with economics.

Which kills more children--guns or swimming pools? How much money do drug dealers really make? Which factors determine whether or not a child will have a successful life? Can statistics reveal cheaters on standardized tests? How does access to safe and legal abortions affect the rate of violent crime in our cities?

A fascinating read.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #17

Oh, the excuses never end. I intended to get significantly more reading done this week than I actually did, especially since Thursday was the last day with students. A new exercise program and some quality time with the hubby turned out to be more engaging than reading this week. We are starting the summer off right, even though it's looking ever more unlikely that I'll meet my goal of reading every book on the list by the end of this month. I'm now at 44 books, which is enough to have officially finished the challenge, but only slightly more than half of the 85 titles. I've also been working on one book, Pure, all week that I just can't seem to get into. It's got all of the elements I love, but it's not grabbing me. Maybe I'm finally fed up with dystopian fiction. Hmmmm, I'll keep going and review it next time. Meanwhile, I did finish one this week.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis


As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Sunday has a whole lot of magical potential, but feels inadequate and overlooked compared to her dashing and daring elder sisters (all also named for days of the week). Her brothers are pretty interesting too, but Sunday feels like her talent, writing stories that have a strange way of coming true, pales in comparison to those of her many siblings.

One day, she meets an enchanted frog in the forest who is fascinated by her stories. Gradually the two become friends, and yes, something more. However, when the frog is finally transformed into his former self, Prince Rumbold, Sunday is not there to see. He slowly regains his memories and realizes that Sunday and her family blame him for the death of her brother, Jack. 

As always, there is more to the story than first appears. Rumbold and Sunday, along with the rest of their families, are soon caught up in a struggle to renew the balance between light and dark.

Fairytale fans will enjoy picking out the references to many different tales and seeing how they come together in one new tale. I will be interested to see how the rest of the series plays out. A fun read!

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #16

Three more books checked off the challenge list this week, although I am still not going fast enough to be able to read all 85 titles by the end of this month. At just under half of the list done, I do need to get my read on. It's only bragging rights, but still...

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan


"Your life must be an open city, with all sorts of ways to wander in."

The economy sucks and Clay Jannon is laid off from his job as a web designer. When an odd little shop catches his eye, he wanders into Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, and is soon hired as the newest clerk. It doesn't take long for Clay to suspect that there is more to Mr. Penumbra and his store than meets the eye. The few customers check out books from the towering shelves in the back of the store, what Clay calls the "Wayback List," but never buy any of the newer books displayed in the front of the shop. 

Curious about what is really going on, Clay designs a program to map out the store and the movement of the customers. When this leads him to a perplexing discovery, he enlists the help of his friends to uncover a mystery that stretches far beyond the walls of the shop.

The characters are more like sketches of common fantasy archetypes than fully-realized people, but I still went along for the ride. I absolutely loved the ending, especially the final page. 

Lovers of books will appreciate the intersection between technology and good old-fashioned books.

"...the right book exactly, at exactly the right time."

Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert

Helen Keller was trapped in a dark, silent world until Annie Sullivan came to be her teacher. Annie, partially blind herself, struggled to communicate with Helen and to let her know that everything has a name. Finally, they had a breakthrough and Helen began to learn at an amazing rate. 


I've always been fascinated with Helen Keller's story, but this book really didn't live up to my expectations. The jumps back and forth between Helen's present and Annie's past were distracting and made the story hard to follow.

Code Name Verity (audiobook) by Elizabeth Wein (narrated by Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell)


Maddie and Queenie, raised in very different social circles, become best friends during WWII. Maddie is a pilot and Queenie a spy.

When Queenie is captured by Nazis in France and broken by torture, she agrees to cooperate in return for a quick death. Her written confession makes up the first half of the book. Initially, the flow of her narrative is hard to follow because of the switches from present to past tense. Once you get used to it, though, it actually helps keep track of past versus present events.

The last part of the book is more reliably narrated by another character and sheds light on Queenie's story in some surprising ways.

The friendship between Maddie and Queenie is realistic and moving. They are both strong characters, each a hero in her own way.  The narrators do an amazing job of bringing Maddie and Queenie, as well as a cast of other characters, to life. While I'm glad I read the print version first, the audiobook is the version I'll revisit again and again.

Highly recommended historical fiction. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #15

I was finally able to get my hands on some of the graphic novels on the list, so I made good progress through several titles this week. Yay! Even though we're getting close to the end, I'm not giving up on reading all 85 by the end of June.

 Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright

I had mixed feelings about Carlos and about this book. I wanted to love it.


Carlos Durante is an openly gay teen who dreams of a career as a makeup artist. He's fabulous and he knows it. While I loved his self-confidence, I didn't like the way he treated his friends. A job at the FeatureFace makeup counter at Macy's sets him on the path to achieving his dreams. Distracting him from stardom is his crush on a classmate who may or may not return his feelings, his sister's abusive boyfriend, and his mom's unexpected unemployment.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier


Callie is a 7th grade drama geek who loves nothing more than staging a show. She's an important member of the backstage crew and she does whatever it takes to make her set an integral part of the show. She's also crushing on a close friend who treats her like one of the guys. When twin brothers, Jesse and Justin, get involved in the school play, the drama (both on and off the stage) goes through to roof. My favorite thing about this book is the portrayal of gay characters as normal teens finding their place in life, just like everybody else. Their gayness was one part of them, but not the only, or even the most important part. 

The Silence of our Friends by Mark Long

Based on real-life events, this graphic novel is set in Houston during the late 1960s. The author's father, Jack, is the white reporter who befriends a black professor.

Jack is covering civil rights protests in the city. Larry Thompson, a professor at TSU who organized the protests, first talks to Jack because he is the only reporter to show up. The two form an unexpected friendship. When a peaceful sit-in erupts in violence, a police officer is killed and hundreds of students are arrested. Five students are put on trial for murder. Jack's actions during the protest make Larry doubt his friendship, but Jack has a chance to redeem himself during the trial of the "TSU Five."

The artwork and the story flow together perfectly. Definitely recommended for a classroom library.

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

A Flight of Angels by Rebecca Guay, Holly Black, Louise Hawes, Todd Mitchell, Alisa Kwitney, and Bill Willingham

When an injured angel falls in the forest, a group of other mythical creatures sets out to decide whether they should kill him, help him, or leave him alone. Each creature tells his or her story about who this mysterious angel might be and a faun will listen to the stories and decide the angel's fate.

The artwork is absolutely stunning and fans of the graphic novel genre should pick it up for that alone. As often happens with short story collections, the individual stories are uneven and don't all live up to the promise of the artwork. Maybe this is nitpicky, but I did wish as I was reading that the fonts had been clearer. Stylized, backwards lettering was distracting and made it hard for me to follow in some places.

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Most of us can relate to the experience of knowing a "weird" kid in high school, that kid who looked or acted differently from other kids and just didn't fit in. That kid who we lost touch with after high school and who never really crossed our minds again. Backderf tells the story of his acquaintance (I hesitate to call it a friendship, despite the book's title) with Jeffrey Dahmer in high school. As a clueless kid, Derf didn't take the warning signs all that seriously, even when he noticed them. The adults in Jeffrey's life didn't either.

This memoir tells about Jeffrey Dahmer's life leading up to his first murder, and isn't especially gruesome, graphic, or illuminating. I was intrigued by the book's premise, but in the end, it wasn't my cup of tea. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #14

Since I've been stressed out with all of my end-of-the-school-year paperwork, I've spent most of my waking (not at work) moments visiting with Jim Dale and Harry Potter. I listened to the first six books this week and started on the last this morning. I squeezed in one Challenge book and one book club selection this week, in the spaces between Potter books.

The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

Told in verse, the voices of the passengers and crew of the Titanic come to vivid life. Immigrants and millionaires board the Titanic with hopes and dreams and stories to tell. This is meticulously researched historical fiction is a must read for those fascinated with the story of this doomed ship. The author provides an extensive list of additional resources for those who are interested in learning more.

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The Lottery by Patricia Wood

Perry L. Crandall has an IQ of 76; therefore, he's not retarded, merely slow. And the only time he ever gets angry is with people who call him retarded. Perry is a likable character and reminded me of Charlie Gordon in Flowers for Algernon, and at times, of Forest Gump. Raised by his grandmother after being abandoned by his parents, Perry has a good heart and knows what's really important, even if he's not smart. Shortly after Gram dies, Perry wins $12 million in the lottery. Suddenly, his mom and his brothers want to be a part of his life. Luckily, Perry has some true friends who do want the best for him. 

While not entirely realistic, this was a heartwarming story that can make us all stop and think for a moment about what we are living for.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

If you haven't read this marvelous series, whatever are you waiting for? The storytelling is masterful and even the minor characters are so real they leap right off the pages. And if you prefer audiobooks, Jim Dale's lively reading does justice to Rowling's vivid language.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #13

It was an interesting mix of books this week. I'm choosing at random, based on what's available at the library, so this week it was guitars, serial killers, and zombies. Oh, my!

Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron

Sammy Bojar is an aspiring musician who is hanging on to his dysfunctional band, hoping to win a Battle of the Bands competition. He is also coming to terms with his grandfather's advancing dementia and his attraction to his best friend, Jen5. Sammy uses music, both listening to it and writing it, to make sense of his life. His relationships all feel authentic and Sammy is a likable character with believable struggles.

A quick, entertaining read that will appeal to readers of a musical bent.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I loved, loved, loved this book. It grabbed me by the throat right away. It was oh-so-believably creepy, with well-drawn characters whose motivations were complex and interesting. I can see mature teen readers gobbling this one up.

Jazz is a teenaged boy whose father, Billy Dent, is a famous and prolific serial killer. Even though Billy is in prison, and will be until he dies, he is a pervasive presence in Jazz's life. As hard as he tries, Jazz is unable to silence his dad's voice, constantly repeating the lessons of how to be a successful killer. 

When dead bodies start piling up in Jazz's small town, he is determined to catch the killer. Thanks to his dear old dad's lessons, Jazz can slip right into the mind of the killer, much to his dismay. The cops, especially the one who put Billy Dent behind bars, aren't too keen on Jazz's input. 

Jazz is such a realistic character, with all of the normal teenaged angst, but with the added bonus of trying to stop himself from becoming the man his father has trained him to be. Jazz exhibits many sociopathic tendencies, but he is most human when he's with his wise-cracking best friend, Howie, and his take-no-shit girlfriend, Connie. Howie's hilarious comments provide plenty of comic relief, even in the midst of some pretty gory gruesomeness. Connie keeps Jazz grounded and calls him out when he starts wallowing in self-doubt. There are some well-meaning adults who try to do what's best for Jazz and he respects them, even though he doesn't agree with them. And then there's his crazy grandmother. Whoa. She's hilarious and horrifying all in one racist, wrinkly, gun-waving package. 

I dare you to read this one after dark.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers


Sloane Price and five other teens seek a safe haven in their high school after their small town is overrun by zombies. The zombies don't actually appear much in the novel, but their constant presence contributes to the tension. 

Once they've barricaded the doors, all that's left is to hang out and wait for rescue...or death. Sloane dwells on the fact that her older sister abandoned her to the not-so-tender mercies of their abusive father. She has given up on life and can't quite understand why the others are fighting so hard to survive. 

What do you live for when you have no one left?

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #12

I enjoyed the audio version of The Diviners so much that I listened to it again this week. Since that took many hours, it considerably slowed down my other reading and listening. I am also having a hard time sticking to the list, as other things I want to read keep cropping up! I finished one book from the official list, bringing my total for the challenge so far to 31.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

American teenager Aurora (Rory) Deveaux arrives in London to spend her last two years in high school at an English boarding school. She has a bit of trouble adjusting to cultural differences, but soon makes a couple of good friends. But when she chokes on a piece of meat at dinner and has a near-death experience, she suddenly starts seeing people that no one else seems to notice.


Meanwhile, the city of London is overtaken by "Rippermania" when a Jack the Ripper copycat killer starts murdering young women. Rory sees a suspicious man who turns out to be the prime suspect in the murders and who has made her a target. 

The story dragged at times, especially the "ghost police" sections. However, overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the ending. I will be looking forward to the next installment of Rory's adventures.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #11

Only three books this week, but two were long ones.

One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season by Chris Ballard

Set in the late 60's and early 70's, this is the true story of a small midwestern town and it's little team that could. Like all great baseball stories, this one is about more than baseball. When a young, liberal teacher comes to Macon to teach English, he shakes up the conservative town and only ends up coaching the baseball team because no one else wants the thankless job. 

Lynn Sweet, never intending to hang around Macon for long, ends up making a profound difference in the lives of his students and players. Sweet is the kind of teacher we all wish we had, whose lessons extend far beyond the classroom walls. His students demonstrate that some of the lessons we need to learn, and those that stick with us the longest, can't be measured by a standardized test.

Like Mike Lupica, another of my favorite sporty writers, Chris Ballard tells an engaging story that is accessible even to those of us who don't care much about sports.

The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey

The Monstrumologist, book three.

When Dr. Warthrop sets off on a quest with a new apprentice to find a monster that no one has ever seen (or at least lived to tell about), Will Henry is left behind. For the first time since the death of his parents, he has a chance at a normal life. But Will Henry no longer fits in with a normal family, and despite himself, he misses Warthrop and feels that his place is wherever the doctor is. When Warthrop's assistant returns to tell Will Henry of the doctor's death, Will Henry is convinced that the man is lying. 

Will Henry is soon on Warthrop's trail, and then on his way to Socotra, the Isle of Blood. On the hunt for a mythical monster that kills so violently that the sky literally rains blood and then builds nests from the scattered human remains, Will Henry will need to confront the darkness in his own soul.

Well-written, creepy gothic horror, suitable for adults and mature YA readers.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners (the first in a new series, hooray!) is my favorite type of book--a blend of genres, fun to read and difficult to classify. It's a mix of fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and suspense, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. Bray has painstakingly researched the Roaring Twenties and her gorgeous prose brings the period, and her characters, vividly to life.

After getting in trouble back in Ohio, Evie O'Neill's parents send her to New York to stay with her uncle. An expert in occult matters, he runs The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--known by the locals as The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies. When Uncle Will is asked to help the police investigate a series of brutal, occult murders, Evie comes along for the ride. Will her ability to "read" objects help her solve the crimes or make her a victim?

Evie is not the only character with a special gift. There's also a pickpocket on a mission to find his mother, a Ziegfeld girl hiding from a dangerous past, a numbers runner with healing powers, and a museum employee who is more (and less) than he seems. Despite the supernatural elements, these characters are well-developed and realistic.

The audio version is delightful, and some of the expressions that felt a bit forced when I read them were much more natural while listening. 

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #10

Got a lot of reading done this week, thanks to the need to avoid writing my own novel. Well, at least I was productive on one front.

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Beautiful artwork accompanied by an engaging story.

After being homeschooled for most of her life, Maggie is ready to start her first day at the local public high school. She's kind of a tomboy, since she's used to roughhousing with her three older brothers. Maggie gradually comes to terms with her mother's abandonment and makes a couple of good friends. In the meantime, she tries to solve the mystery of the ghost who follows her around.

Ultimate Comics Spider-man, v.1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Though I enjoyed both the artwork and the storyline, some of the panels were confusing. Most of the time, the panels moved from top to bottom on one page before moving to the next page, but sometimes they stretched across two pages. 

Miles Morales gets bitten by a spider and soon finds that he is developing powers reminiscent of Spiderman. After Miles witnesses Peter Parker's death, he decides to take up where Peter left off, despite the fact that his father will most definitely not approve.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

I am old enough to remember when AIDS began to enter the public consciousness. No one really understood what it was or how it spread and that freaked everyone out. Tell the Wolves I'm Home, set in 1987, is a coming of age story of a teenager named June Elbus. She is kind of a square peg and the only person who really "gets" her is her uncle and godfather, Finn. Unfortunately, Finn dies of AIDS and June is feels alone.

After Finn's death, she meets his partner, Toby. Despite the fact that her parents blame Toby for Finn's death, June befriends him, if reluctantly at first. That friendship may be what they both need in order to make peace with Finn's death.

This was a beautiful, heart-wrenching story from the first word to the last. Highly recommended and one to savor.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

Having already read Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, I didn't really learn anything new about him in this one, but I did enjoy the way Blumenthal used his 2005 commencement address at Stanford to frame the story of Jobs' life.

This biography is accessible to younger readers and is, overall, inspiring. Despite his idiosyncrasies and his difficulties relating to other people, Jobs certainly provided an innovative spark that revolutionized the way we communicate today.

As a person who is old enough to remember life before computers, internet, and iAnything, it was fun for me to reminisce about where I was when each of Apple's new gadgets became a part of my world. I'll never forget the day my husband came home with a first generation iPod and explained what it was. My response..."You spent HOW MUCH on a music player when we have a perfectly good walkman?" 

These days, Apple products are an integral part of my daily life and I appreciate the genius of the man who not only pushed great ideas forward, but who also cared about making them simple and elegant.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #8

Due to my participation in Camp Nano, I didn't read as much as I would have liked. However, I did pass 11,000 words of writing in my as of yet untitled novel. Yay me!

Page by Tamora Pierce

Tortall Universe -- Protector of the Small, #2.

Keladry of Mindelan made it through her first year as a page, but unfortunately, her life has not gotten easier as her training continues. She has a full schedule trying to balance schoolwork and physical training. As if that isn't enough, she puts in extra training sessions every day, patrols the halls to keep bullies at bay, and attempts to overcome her debilitating fear of heights. Kel has a strong sense of right and wrong and her actions always reflect that. She rescues a dog who "adopts" her, and keeps him even though pages are not allowed to have pets. She also takes on a timid maid, Lalasa, and teaches her to protect herself from the unwanted advances of both nobles and other servants. 

While Kel may be a bit too perfect to be believable at times, she is an excellent role model and a strong female character who always strives to do the right thing. 

This is an excellent series for middle grade readers.

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In preparation for book three of the Monstrumologist series, which IS on the YALSA list, I read the first two. 

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Monstrumologist, book one.

After the deaths of his parents, Will Henry is taken in by his father's employer, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a scientist who studies monsters. Will Henry has become used to visitors in the dark of the night, but when a grave robber stops by with some especially gruesome cargo, Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop embark on a terrifying quest to find and kill the rest of the monsters before they kill again.

Very well done gothic horror set in Victorian England. Gory details and high-level vocabulary make this one a good choice for more mature readers.


The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

The Monstrumologist, Book two.

The leader of the Monstrumology Society, inspired by a young upstart named Stoker, is trying to convince his colleagues to include mythical monsters (like the vampire and the wendigo) in their studies. Warthrop sees this as the downfall of the science of monstrumology.

But when the woman he once loved asks him to rescue her husband (who was also once Warthrop's best friend), who disappeared while searching for a wendigo, Warthrop reluctantly accepts. This new quest turns out to be gorier and more horrifying than anything Will Henry has encountered before.

This book is much more character-driven than the previous one, and we learn more about the backstories and motivations of our main characters. But it feels even gorier than the first, perhaps because the people who die aren't random strangers.

2013 YALSA Hub Reading Challenge - Update #7

It's been a girl power week of reading. Hooray! If only Spring Break could happen more often...

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Wow. I loved this book. 

First, it's a beautifully told coming-of-age story set in a small town in Montana. The writing is luxurious and brings the setting fully to life. The characters are well-rounded; even the less sympathetic ones aren't all bad. The length might scare some readers away, especially since this is not a Twilight-ish book that a reader can speed through. This is a book to savor, like the unbearably long, hot days of summer that seem to stretch ahead forever, but end all too quickly. 

The fact that Cameron Post is a lesbian is important to the story, but it's not the only aspect of her life that's important to the story. She's a realistically drawn character (faults and all), and her gayness is simply one part of who she is. "I just liked girls because I couldn't help not to." Any young adult, as well as many adults, will be able to relate to Cameron's struggle to find her place in the world around her.

Cameron's parents die in a car accident when she is 12, and her evangelical Aunt Ruth moves in to care for her and her ailing grandmother. For awhile, Cameron pretty much continues to live her life as she wishes, except for church on Sundays and the mandatory youth group. "Being a true believer meant helping others, lots of others, to believe just like me. Rather than convincing me of the righteousness of this kind of believing, rather than making me certain of its correctness, it made me question, and doubt, all the more."

When Ruth finds out about Cam's love affair with a girl in town, she sends Cam to a "pray the gay away" school affiliated with her church. Even as she pretends to play along, Cameron remains skeptical that the staff of God's Promise will be able to cure her of something that is not a disease. Cameron comes to see that the staff really have no idea what they are doing, though she believes that they mean well. She describes Lydia, the head counselor, this way: "...witnessing her administration of ten zillion rules and codes of conduct, all of which she applied to her own life, made her seem fragile and weak, in need of the constant protection of all those rules..." I guess this line resonated with me because it often seems to me that ultra-religious people are obsessed with sin. Like the ONLY thing that keeps one from committing mayhem is the prohibition against doing so. One could argue that truly moral people do not require the threat of punishment to do the right thing. They do the right thing even when no one is watching, judging, or threatening punishment.

While Cameron is not always likable, you'll root for her as she struggles to be true to herself and to live her life according to her own conscience. As she says in a sort of communion with her parents, "Maybe I still haven't become me. I don't know how you tell for sure when you finally have." 

Frank depictions of sex and drug use. Highly recommended for mature readers.

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Marvelous story. Marvelous, lush writing. Did I mention that this story is marvelous?

Syrenka is a mermaid, but more of the Brothers Grimm variety than the Disneyfied version we've come to know. She is immortal and deadly, but willing to risk everything when she falls in love with Ezra. They are happy for a time, but the consequences of Syrenka's choices prove deadly.

Many generations later, Hester meets a handsome young man on the beach; the two feel an instant connection, like they've known each other forever. Because the women in her family have some unexplained affliction that causes them to die right after giving birth, Hester is determined to remain alone forever. But, still, there is something about Ezra...

Syrenka's and Hester's intertwined stories are told with prose that flows like ocean currents in alternating chapters. The world of mermaids comes alive in this entrancing tale that combines fantasy and folklore, romance, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and mystery.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date."

Fans (especially younger ones) of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice will enjoy this frothy and fun retelling of the classic novel of manners. It's a quick and easy read.

Lizzie Bennet, one of only two scholarship students at the prestigious Longbourn Academy, is a promising musician who dreams of playing in Carnegie Hall. Aside from Charlotte, the other scholarship student, and her roommate, Jane, no one at Longbourn wants anything to do with Lizzie, unless it's to torment her with mean-girl pranks.

Jane falls in love with Charles Bingley, a student at the equally exclusive boys' school, Pemberley, and Lizzie is partnered up with Charles' friend, the wealthy and pretentious Will Darcy. Misunderstandings and crossed signals abound, but readers familiar with the story will realize that everything is going to turn out all right in the end.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Tortall Universe, Song of the Lioness #1.

Alanna and her twin brother, Thom, are about to go their separate ways--Alanna to a convent to learn magic, and Thom to the castle to learn to be a knight. Of course, Thom would rather learn magic and Alanna would rather be a knight. Surprise, surprise...they switch places.

We don't hear much from Thom, but Alanna (aka Alan) discovers that the life of a page is harder than she had expected. At times, Alanna seems a little to good to be believable, but she's a strong female character. She finds a well of strength inside herself that will help her be the hero she has always dreamed of. 

A fight between good and evil perfect for middle level readers.

First Test by Tamora Pierce

Tortall Universe, Protector of the Small, #1.

Since I read Alanna: The First Adventure in the same weekend, First Test felt very similar.  Like Alanna, Keladry of Mindalen longs to be a knight. She comes to the castle to become a page, but she does so openly, without concealing her gender. Of course, this opens her up to almost constant abuse from the other pages. Despite the challenges, Keladry refuses to give up and proves herself the equal, and in many cases the better knight, than the other pages.

Keladry, even more than Alanna, is a character to admire. She doesn't strive to become a knight simply to escape her fate as a proper court lady; she believes wholeheartedly in chivalry and protecting those who need protection. She stands up for others and calls the other boys to the carpet when they don't want to follow her lead.

Another excellent fantasy for middle level readers.

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These weren't on the YALSA list, but worth a look.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This review refers to the audiobook, read by the author. The footnotes that may have annoyed me had I read this instead of listened to it, came to wonderful, hilarious life.

Of the 50 young women and their chaperones who crash land on a deserted tropical island, only 12 teens survive. Imagine Lord of the Flies, but with more mascara and push-up bras.

I wasn't too sure about this concept at first, as I generally prefer Libba Bray when she's doing historical fiction. However, once I got drawn in, I loved the satire about our consumer culture and unrealistic expectations for women. Bray's beauty queens begin by seeing each other as obstacles; once they get to know each other, they realize they can only succeed together.

The thing I love most about satire is that it makes you laugh, even as it makes you think. However, misogynists beware: feminism abounds. If you like your women quiet, obedient, and pregnant, you'll probably hate this book. I thought it was hilarious and empowering.

Viral Storm: The Dawn of a New Pandemic Age by Nathan Wolfe

There were several things I liked about this book, even though it's not the type of thing I usually read. First, as a science novice, I appreciated the simple explanations of how viruses evolve and function. Learning how viruses jump from animals to humans was fascinating. Wolfe's assertion that perhaps we are overspending on stopping terrorist attacks and would be better served (in terms of protecting human life) by funding more scientific research makes perfect sense. Although his name-dropping goes a bit overboard at times, I get that he's doing it to highlight the useful research that is happening around the world and to remind us to keep funding it.

It's funny that some people view this book as "alarmist." I didn't feel that way at all. On the contrary, I felt that Wolfe was giving both sides about viruses. They aren't all trying to kill us. Many viruses are beneficial, or at least do no harm, and can be harnessed to help fight disease. His assertion is that we should not be trying to eradicate all viruses. Instead, we should be focused on the truly harmful ones that have the ability to cause pandemics.